Juncker, who said he had read all of the U.K.’s position papers with great interest, told a conference of the EU’s top diplomats: “None of those is actually satisfactory, so there is still an enormous amount of issues which remain to be settled.”

But Juncker’s hard line annoyed Jacob Rees-Mogg, arch Brexiteer and darling of the Conservative right. He said Britain must not pay anything near the amounts being suggested for the divorce bill — numbers have ranged from €60 billion to €100 billion — and likened Juncker unfavorably to Otto von Bismarck, widely viewed as the architect of a united Germany.

“Mr. Juncker’s effort to extort money from us shows he is an amateur even at blackmail,” Rees-Mogg told the Sun. “He has nothing to intimidate us with and the British people always stiffen their sinews when threatened.”

He added: “Mr. Juncker is a pound shop Bismarck, arrogant and bullying but without the charm.”

Authors:

Related stories on these topics:

François P

Is that the UK charm offensive?

Posted on 8/30/17 | 1:07 PM CET

alan

Uhm .. was that Junkers charm offensive?

Posted on 8/30/17 | 1:17 PM CET

glasspix 1

Rees-Mogg must focus less on giving sound bites to the Sun and more on being perceived as a consensus builder within and outside the Conservative Party. He is by far the most promising future leader for the UK but must relinquish this solo smart-ass public school boy image in favour of depth, consistency and leadership skills.

Posted on 8/30/17 | 1:25 PM CET

mephistopheles

@Francois P

No, it is the EU-reality check offensive. And about time too that the jumped up Euro-twins were put back in their box.

What he’s actually trying is to discredit himself as possible PM-presumptive so he won’t even be considered by the tories to be the one finally facing off-tune brexit music after tone-deaf PM May was kicked out.

Posted on 8/30/17 | 2:02 PM CET

wow

@FRancois P

Exactly, The UK is not trying any charm offensive… it was just Politico propaganda you lapped up as usual.

Posted on 8/30/17 | 2:06 PM CET

wow

Does POlitico even get the reference?

‘Bismarck distrusted democracy and ruled through a strong, well-trained bureaucracy with power in the hands of a traditional Junker elite that consisted of the landed nobility in eastern Prussia.

Bismarck—a Junker himself—’…..

Posted on 8/30/17 | 2:10 PM CET

wow

*it’s a play on words.

It’s sad I have to point that out………

Posted on 8/30/17 | 2:11 PM CET

wanderingreader

This from a ‘man’ still bottle and spoon fed by his nanny. But give him some time and he will reach the anal-retentive heights of his leader.

Posted on 8/30/17 | 2:13 PM CET

wow

@ a reader… it’s sad we have to point the humour out to you.

Was it too intelligent for you and beyond your historical knowledge?

Posted on 8/30/17 | 2:13 PM CET

a reader

@wow
quote: @ a reader… it’s sad we have to point the humour out to you.

Was it too intelligent for you and beyond your historical knowledge? unquote

wow

Did you not understand the historical reference juncker/junker this humour pertains to.

BOO HOO! Stop crying you making even more of a fool of yourself.

Posted on 8/30/17 | 2:23 PM CET

wow

@ reader

I won’t insult you further even thoguh your comment is extremely aggressive… it would probably go over your head anyway… you may even believe it to be a compliment such is your lack of knowledge….

Posted on 8/30/17 | 2:27 PM CET

Peter

Jacob, Jacob, Jacob! While few would disagree with the sentiment of the comments please act like a grown when representing the UK!

Posted on 8/30/17 | 2:30 PM CET

MnXalns

@a reader.
JRM is indeed one of those rightwing tories, whom I think would rather conserve his upper class eccenticity than have to appeal to a wider audience.
I suspect, if by some strange fluke (and we’ve had quite a few lately) he did become a candidate for leader the tories, he would turn up in double breasted pyjamas.

Posted on 8/30/17 | 2:30 PM CET

stu

A response to Juncker’s unbounded charm that was thoroughly deserved.
Just saying no to everything is not a valid negotiating tactic.

Posted on 8/30/17 | 2:38 PM CET

Ted

Juncker reminds me more of Sebb Blatter it took the British press ant the us gove to bring him down.

Ted

Jodocus5

Good that we have people like Mr. Rees-Mogg to help us get to grips that. Too bad he didn’t go into the substance of the matter.

Or perhaps not. Best for Mr. Moggie to keep playing to his strength, right?

Posted on 8/30/17 | 2:51 PM CET

a reader

@MnXalns
quote: JRM is indeed one of those rightwing tories, whom I think would rather conserve his upper class eccenticity than have to appeal to a wider audience. unquote

This is what frightens me most, to be honest. Most toplevel politicians – i am using the term toplevel losely here – appear detached from reality. Their first and foremost goal appears to remain in their positions and somehow create a distinctive image – regardless the quality of this image. May wants to be seen as a ‘bloody difficult woman’. Johnson obviously aspires the image of an entertaining courtjester. Rees-Mogg cultivates the image of yester-century aristocrat and ‘master’. Davis …. not sure. Goodhumoured but clueless temp, standing in for his manager, repeating her/his orders?

While all of this is highly entertaining, no doubt, other countries and real politicians on the opposite side of the negotiating table appear to be nothing but startled and confused. Which does not exactly help matters regard Brexit. Honestly, i fear for the worst outcome.

Posted on 8/30/17 | 2:59 PM CET

Vishnou

Forgive my ignorance but isn’t he the man who stated the UKIP should have more seats?

Posted on 8/30/17 | 3:03 PM CET

Dave

The machinations of the European Commission should be viewed in the same way as Bismarck viewed the sausage-making process. It’s just the end result isn’t half as good.

Posted on 8/30/17 | 3:07 PM CET

a reader

@wow:

I did not respond to you. The username ‘a reader’ is neither registered to me nor to my email address *jonathan.*******@*******.com. I suppose the moderators can confirm this. I am using a rather wellknown VPN while posting here.

Thank you for taking note and not bothering me any more with your trash.

Posted on 8/30/17 | 3:15 PM CET

Dan

@a reader

Ah I can help you there with your fear for the worst outcome, guaranteed from day one with the EU’s approach. Don’t fear it, simply wait for it.

Posted on 8/30/17 | 3:24 PM CET

kermelen

Valorous Mr Rees-Mogg is campaigning for the PM job in front of a Tory audience after Mrs May left the country for her visit to Japan. When it comes to power disputes in the Tory party, guess who is going to play the scapegoat part? Tories should realize we are not in 1941 anymore. Their EU bashing is now heard loud and clear across the English Channel and unfounded insults are never good negotiating arguments. Mr Rees-Mogg expectations are priceless indeed. And if he could grab the job he is lusting after at the cost of a cliff jump to WTO, then have no doubt: cliff jump to WTO he will campaign for most ardently.

Posted on 8/30/17 | 3:28 PM CET

Tom

**Breaking news**
Guy Verhofstadt agrees that a trade agreement needs to be agreed.

Guy Verhofstadt @GuyVerhofstadt
About #Brexit negotiations, I know a divorce is never easy, but a strong future partnership is in the best interest of all

Posted on 8/30/17 | 3:34 PM CET

n

Junk-er is a sniveling parasite. The Europeans are too asleep and their societies arw too decadent and dieing to even notice.

Posted on 8/30/17 | 3:36 PM CET

glembay18

Well,if he is next in line for PM, he will have a time to think about it.But,of course,time is waiting for nobody, even on tabloid charm steroids…

Posted on 8/30/17 | 3:42 PM CET

kermelen

@n

Are you Tory or D@esh?

Posted on 8/30/17 | 3:51 PM CET

a reader

@kermelen
quote: @n

Are you Tory or D@esh? unquote..

I believe his country of origin is ‘illiteracy’ and his belief is some religious cult called ‘LEEF’. No wait, it’s ‘LEAF’. Egads, wrong again. ‘LEAVE’ (SCNR)

Posted on 8/30/17 | 4:26 PM CET

Ronald Grünebaum

Obviously, JRM would refer to Bismarck. The 19th century is where he lives and takes his political clues from.

Posted on 8/30/17 | 4:27 PM CET

Lancelot

Junker is drunk most of the time. Does anyone listen to a word he says, and if they do, do they take any of it seriously?

Posted on 8/30/17 | 4:41 PM CET

Vishnou

@Lancelot: are you Junker’s closest friend to confirm he “drinks a lot” or have you just picked up the info in trash papers?

Posted on 8/30/17 | 4:51 PM CET

Vishnou

@Ronald Grünebaum:++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 😉

Posted on 8/30/17 | 4:55 PM CET

DanTheMan

Rees Mogg, as eloquent, entertaining, charming, quaint and ridiculous as he is, will never be PM.

Posted on 8/30/17 | 4:57 PM CET

Vishnou

@Tom: “What has been billed as a ‘Brexit election’ is an attempted power grab by the Tories, who wish to take advantage of a Labour party in seeming disarray to secure another five years of power before the reality of Brexit bites,” Mr Verhofstadt wrote in The Observer.

Posted on 8/30/17 | 5:01 PM CET

Joseph

What he did expect that EU Commission will make UK life easy? Or that the other 27 will just bow down in front of UK and give the UK side only the benefits without any kind of costs. They have pragmatic approach as it should be, UK is our partner and close ally but we will fight and it’s in our interest as 27 to get as much advantages as possible from this negotiations and it’s not about being a bully (we cooperate with UK on numerous sides and never wanted UK to leave the EU) but about defending our people and interests. This is the reality Unfortunately and it’s because of UK that we have to have this kind of discussions about divorce and who gets the most benefits, we never wanted to have this stupid negotiations. So dear brexiteers enjoy now the mess that you’ve created and blame the EU for everything as usual.

Carol Fraser

Rees-Mogg is the man you would get if the printer ran out of ink… This dog-whistle to the Brexiteers is crass even by his standards. If having Farage gloating in the European Parliament after pissing on Britain isn’t enough to make sentient folk weep – and if Boris Johnson doesn’t cause us, here in the UK, to cringe with embarrassment – Rees-Mogg is happy to bring up the rear… Please – someone – ship these private school-boys and their neo-colonialism off to Mars. PLEASE…

Posted on 8/30/17 | 9:19 PM CET

von Bredow

very charming! 🙂

“To be flexible you need two points, our point and their point,” Barnier told reporters on the sidelines of the ongoing talks in Brussels. “We need to know their position and then I can be flexible.” just BS from the British.

Posted on 8/30/17 | 9:55 PM CET

Bob

In view of the fact that Bismarck’s principle accomplishment is the creation of the modern state of Germany by threatening and cajoling various German-speaking principalities into uniting with Prussia, the comparison is not completely unfounded. However, if Rees-Mogg was using the term Bismarck in its American sense of referring to a jelly doughnut (Berliner), the comparison is completely inappropriate.

Posted on 8/30/17 | 10:08 PM CET

Bob

‘principal’, not ‘principle’ in the comment above.

Posted on 8/30/17 | 10:09 PM CET

mephistopheles

@ amanda

No. We are leaving the EU. Get over it. For the love of God, stop your wailing and remoaning. If you don’t like it, move to somewhere in continental Europe and do your moaning from there. PLEASE.

Posted on 8/30/17 | 10:12 PM CET

DanTheMan

@europe rules

Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery even if it was a rather poor effort, so thank you 😉

Posted on 8/31/17 | 12:23 AM CET

Heidi

@amanda
“Rees-Mogg is the man you would get if the printer ran out of ink”

““He has nothing to intimidate us with and the British people always stiffen their sinews when threatened.”” Does Rees-Mogg even have any sinewy muscles? Or does he prefer to leave it up to The Sun mob to flex them on his behalf since he is utterly incapable himself?

Posted on 8/31/17 | 8:08 AM CET

Peter Berman

Has Rees-Mogg ever visited a pound Shop? I doubt it.

Posted on 8/31/17 | 8:46 AM CET

Flemings

Rees-Mogg is being described as “arch Brexiteer and darling of the Conservative right”. Why isn’t Juncker described as “arch federalist and darling of the liberal left establishment”?

Posted on 8/31/17 | 8:55 AM CET

wow

@ reader

How convenient, someone stole your user name; only today, never before. Hmmm. Used it to make psycho comments. Well glad that’s all wrapped up then.

I’m a believer.

Posted on 8/31/17 | 9:32 AM CET

EU

Is this constructive ambiguity and a taste of the deep and special relationship?

Posted on 8/31/17 | 9:40 AM CET

wow

@ a reader

It’s funny because you SYNTAX use of quote/unquote is the same for both fake ‘a reader’ and real ‘a reader’

You do this in all comments, you claim are not you and are you, here is a summary of your 4 comments on here that you claim are both not you and you:

‘FAKE’ @ a reader:

a reader

@François P

Is quote: that the UK charm offensive? unquote.

‘FAKE’ @ a reader:

a reader

@wow
quote: @ a reader… it’s sad we have to point the humour out to you.

REAL @ a reader:

a reader

@MnXalns
quote: JRM is indeed one

REAL @ a reader:

@kermelen
quote: @n

Well this ‘fake’ you really has your syntax down to a tee!! And you didn’t even notice haha!!

Cheerio Now 😉

Posted on 8/31/17 | 9:44 AM CET

wow

Syntax use of quote/unquote for both ‘fake’ and ‘real’ @ reader:

‘FAKE’ @ a reader:

‘Is quote: that the UK charm offensive? unquote.’

‘FAKE’ @ a reader:

‘quote: @ a reader… it’s sad we have to point the humour out to you.’

REAL @ a reader:

‘quote: JRM is indeed one..’

REAL @ a reader:

‘quote: @n …’

Posted on 8/31/17 | 9:49 AM CET

Bryan Sadler

Bissau did more for Germany than Reese Mogg and his ilk have done for UK. Thatcher destroyed our industries, Cameron et Al have destroyed our economy and the United Kingdom itself .

Posted on 8/31/17 | 11:21 AM CET

fatbob

Drunker. The guy who codified tax evasion and corruption in his own country. It says a lot about some of the commenters on this board, who appear to be delighted as they kneel before him, mouths wide open.

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